Through the lens of land – new politics and policies in Egypt’s recent races

Candidates’ Share of Votes

Amidst the emotional and political bustle of elections in Egypt, we wanted to take a moment to review the key figures and parties emerging over the last several months through the lens of land rights and housing policy. While these more localized issues are not at the forefront of national discussion. Many platforms touch on housing and land in their larger vision for the country.

Land rights and housing policy remain integral to this period of transition in the country. Just days ago, dispossessed Egyptian farmers were vying for President Elect Mohammed Morsi’s attention to settle disputes with Youssef Wali, Minister of Agricuture under Mubarak who used to give huge tracts of lands to judges, generals and ministers. Among many other issues, it will be most interesting to see how Morsi handles these sensitive and deep-rooted issues. For a complete summary of events leading up to and through the recent transition check out the Huffington Posts’ timeline.

Below we’ve highlighted the specific platform items of each party that mention issues of land, housing, basic services, environment and local governance.

– Provide credit and production inputs at reasonable prices to farmers

– Decentralize state management and ensure an equitable distribution of resources among the governorates

Al-Adl Party (Justice Party)

– Exploit all of Egypt’s land from the western desert to the Sinai for economic development but without harming the environment

– Rely on new and renewable energy sources

– Invest in renewable energy

– Self-sufficiency in water and energy

– Adequate housing, healthcare and education is the right of every citizen, including children, workers, the handicapped and the elderly

– Provide low cost housing to those who cannot otherwise afford it

– Encourage environmental and energy conservation in construction

– Expand settlements beyond the narrow Nile valley

– Create green spaces within cities

– Reduce construction in agricultural areas

– Reduce the spread of slums

THE WAY FORWARD

Cairo 2011 – Photo credit: Muneeb Ansari

As with other areas of potential change in Egypt’s political landscape, there are both promising and worrying signs in land rights and housing policy.

For example, independent Presidential candidate, lawyer and labor activist Khaled Ali campaigned strongly on these issue and is an example of one of several people and organizations fighting for land rights and better housing policies. His campaign called for cooperatives to increase Egypt’s agricultural lands, to reclaim desert lands, and to realize self-sufficiency in agricultural production. While he received a fraction of the vote, his commitment to his platform continues.

However, all this may be the exception rather than the norm. Other Presidential candidates, like Ahmad Sahafiq, frequently dealt in discounted land sales. Employees at the Civil Aviation Ministry and EgyptAir Holding Company have filed more than 40 lawsuits against Shafiq since the uprising, accusing him of corruption and squandering public funds. However, the fate of these cases remains unknown, especially since the public prosecutor transferred them to the military prosecution in May, and Shafiq was never summoned for interrogation.

They also accuse Shafiq of squandering funds by investing more than LE100 million in building two malls next to the Cairo and Sharm el-Sheikh airports, projects that failed to generate any revenue. Selling vast tracts of ministry land to some businessmen at cheap prices is also among the accusations.

In the coming months, the presence of concrete issues relating to land and housing policy in national political dialogue will be telling of the new administration’s true commitment to transforming the daily lives of Egyptians. While discussion remains focused on foreign policy, national democracy, and the relationship between the government and military, it is important for community organizations and activists to keep pushing for politicians to deliver on commitments to these more micro issues.

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Dana Kardoush is the Cairo from Below Communications Coordinator. Kardoush is an alumnus of Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). While at SIPA, along with fellow classmates and colleagues in Cairo, she contributed to forming Cairo from Below. Kardoush’s interest lies in civil society mobilization and community-led development in the Middle East, and as a Palestinian-American, she hopes to return to live and work in Palestine in the future.

Meredith Hutchison is the Cairo from Below Programs Coordinator. Meredith holds a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University. While at Columbia, she was part of the team that formed Cairo from Below. Meredith’s interests center on local governance and accountability, and she hopes to continue to support the growth of community media hubs worldwide.

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